Differences

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--- bash:files:read_a_file:read_fields_from_a_file [2021/01/26 13:34] – [Not knowing how many fields a line contains] peter
+++ bash:files:read_a_file:read_fields_from_a_file [2021/01/26 13:44] (current) – [Field splitting, white-space trimming, and other input processing] peter
@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 ----
-<WRAP info>
+===== Throwaway variable =====
-**NOTE:**  The throwaway variable **_** can be used as a "junk variable" to ignore fields.
-  * It (or indeed any variable) can also be used more than once in a single read command, if we don't care what goes into it:
 <code bash>
@@ Line 82: / Line 79: @@
 </code>
-  * We skip the first two fields, then read the next three.
-  * The final **_** can absorb any number of fields.
+<WRAP info>
+**NOTE:**  The throwaway variable **_** can be used as a "junk variable" to ignore fields.
+  * It, and any other variable, can be used more than once in a single read command, if we don't care what goes into it.
+  * The first two fields are skipped.
+  * The next three fields are reading into variables.
+  * The final **_** will absorb any remaining fields on the line.
     * It does not need to be repeated there.
-This usage of **_** is only guaranteed to work in Bash.
+<WRAP important>
+**WARNING:**  This usage of **_** is only guaranteed to work in Bash.
-  * Many other shells use _ for other purposes that will at best cause this to not have the desired effect, and can break the script entirely.
+  * Many other shells use **_** for other purposes that will at best cause this to not have the desired effect, and can break the script entirely.
-  * It is better to choose a unique variable that isn't used elsewhere in the script, even though _ is a common Bash convention.
+  * It is better to choose a unique variable that isn't used elsewhere in the script, even though **_** is a common Bash convention.
 </WRAP>
+</WRAP>
+----